What is Relationship Management?

What is relationship management? It’s really about taking care of your relationships. How are you taking care of them, there are great ideas here.

I’ve just finished reading “ Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh, I have to say it is a terrific book, I would read it before going to sleep and it keep me reading it until I couldn’t stay awake. There are so many things in the book that I can say Yes! Yes! Yes! He really wrote it with total transparency. I could relate to his experiences of funding and the up’s and downs of it all and his lessons in creating a Happy Culture.

“Over time they discovered their core competency and started to focus on the culture of their business. Ultimately they came to the conclusion that their company’s brand is just an indicator of their company’s culture. They developed their core values and ones they would be willing to commit to. Everyone in the company becomes your Brand Ambassadors.”

It’s a great read..

Branding through Customer Service

Zappo’s discovered their #1 driver of their growth was from repeat customers and word of mouth. So rather than spending money on advertising and marketing they invested in the customer service department.

Zappo’s offers great customer service, such as:

✓ They offer free shipping both ways
✓ They offer a 365 day return
✓ Contact information is front and center on their website
✓ They love to talk to their customers – most customers will remember this experience for a long time and will tell their friends about it

To carry on about what Tony wrote about the Telephone being a branding tool, I used to use it all the time in sales and now I am using it as one of my Relationship Marketing tools. As I have been reaching out to do one on one calls with people like a networking call. It’s has been an interesting experience. Even with all the social media tools that are available, don’t forget to use your telephone. You want people to have a wonderful experience with you, even if you are asking for something specific from them.

Obviously, a face to face meeting, or chatting at a Networking meeting is ideal, it’s not always possible. With the Internet it has opened up other channels and tools in which we all communicate with. Creating a social buzz isn’t as effective as talking to someone.

How to deliver a relationship marketing experience:

✓ Be open and receptive when someone calls – take the calls
✓ Return messages by calling them back – if you don’t what kind of culture or brand experience are you giving to people
✓ Create a WOW experience in everything you do
✓ Don’t hide your contact information on your website put it out front, forms are ok, telephone number is better
✓ Give your time to everyone equally – vendors, customers, employees or contractors subscribers and strangers
✓ If someone wants to talk to you, don’t keep asking why? Maybe they are your next customer or can help you get customers or lead you to your next opportunity
✓ If you don’t offer a FREE 15 -30 minute talk time, then start to
✓ Ask questions like “How can I help you?” “How can I support you?”
✓ Engage with people in a conversation. I was trying to have one with a guy who is quite active in social media, he was like talking to a wall. He told me the phone & fax machine went out like the Dodo bird!!
✓ Be helpful, be cooperative
✓ Treat people how you would like to be treated

Relationship management is really just about managing yourself and your employees to deliver a great experience working with you. Follow your core values, these will breath life into your business, even if you are the only one.